A Stroll Through the Park
by Shining Swordsman
Summary: [Oneshot] Naruto was just taking an innocent stroll in the park when he bumped into Sakura. [Complete] [NaruxSaku] First Fanfic!


_Alright! This is my first fanfic and it is going to be a one shot just to test how well I can write a story. This will be a NaruxSaku fic all the way so yeah. Be sure to review the story at the end please!_

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**A Stroll Through the Park**

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It was close to the nightly hours as one Naruto Uzumaki walked through the park all by himself on one of his very rare day offs from ninja business. As such, he wore more casual clothes instead of his regular orange jumpsuit. Today, he just wore a black t-shirt with a red Konoha symbol in the middle. He wore some cargo pants as well as a pair of standard ninja sandals. 

During his stroll on the park so far, he did notice a few glances that made him slightly uncomfortable. He was glad that they weren't those hateful glances that he had to bear with when he was little, but these gazes were more on his body. Since he turned 18 a couple weeks ago, he noticed that a lot of people in Konoha started to stare at him like this, mostly from the female population. Gosh, even Ino seemed to be making flirtatious gestures at him. The one person, however, he never thought would look at him like that.

He caught her gazing at him with an affectionate stare that he usually saw her with when she would stare at Sasuke during their younger days. He remembered this one time when he caught her blushing when he had to remove his shirt during a mission, but he forgot about it when their camp was ambushed. He would have loved to think that she actually liked him like that, but he knew that day would never happen.

He swung his arms around his head with his face in deep thought. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like he became Konoha's new attraction. Last he heard, Neji had been subjected to this kind of title and the fan girls just seemed to pop out of nowhere. Even a ninja as experienced as he was could get outsmarted by some of the village's fan girl population and find himself missing a pair of boxers or something. Nowadays, he switches on his Byakugan during the nights and sometimes even in the mornings.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts when he bumped into somebody. Quickly picking himself up, he bent down to help the other person out when realization hit him.

"Oh Sakura-chan! I'm sorry! I wasn't looking and-"

Picking herself up, she hastily dusted herself off before cutting off Naruto.

"It's okay Naruto. I wasn't looking either. It's both of our faults."

"Uh...um...ok. So what are you doing here Sakura-chan?"

"Tsunade-sama gave me the day off today. She said that after working 2 years nonstop, I should get some free time to myself. I just came to the park for a nice peaceful stroll."

"What a coincidence. She gave me a day off today as well. She must be in one hell of a good mood."

"Yeah."

She smiled gently at Naruto, who seemed entranced at her whole being right now. It was like she held this magical power where she could just trap him with a smile. Snapping out from his trance when he saw Sakura place a confused expression on her face, he smiled one of his winning smiles as well, making something in Sakura's stomach turn.

"Well, since we're here, want to um...take a...uh...walk with me?" He said, shaking a little bit. Naruto noticed a strange gleam in her eyes before she closed her eyes for a bit. Thinking she wasn't going to accept, he was just about to turn around when he heard a really surprising answer.

"Sure!" Sakura, too, noticed a strange glint in his eyes and she knew that just by looking into his eyes, he was jumping for joy on the inside. She knew how long he wanted something like this to happen and she was bewildered at why she said yes. I mean, sure he looked hot, but this is Naruto! One of her best friends, the number one hyperactive knuckle headed ninja! But what's done is done and for some strange reason she felt glad.

He did change for the better though, Sakura had to admit that much. His hair had grown significantly, almost replicating the Fourth's hair. His eyes stayed the same, happy and joyous, yet dark and mysterious at the same time. The outline of his face had a more manly feature to it, making him look mature and grown up, yet it held the childness that is part of Naruto. The trademark whiskers were still there, although more defined and blended into his skin.

She finally noticed what he was wearing. The t-shirt did show off the sculpted muscles on his arms and the outline of them on his chest, which was a achieved after 18 years of the ninja life. At least his choice of color was much more bearable than that horrendous orange jumpsuit he had on most of the time. She also noticed that he had a few ninja items like the sandals and a few weapon pouches. He wore his headband on his upper right arm now and she liked this new look as it gave his hair a more wild style to it.

Naruto, just like Sakura, began to check out her choice of clothing as well. November had just moved in and the cool temperatures in Konoha made it so that sweaters and jackets could be utilized. Complimenting the autumn temperatures, Sakura wore a tight red sweater that seemed to fit her curves quite nicely. She wore skin tight black pants and also finished off in the high heels that Tsunade had gotten Sakura on her last birthday. Her eyes had the most beautiful shade of emerald he had ever witnessed and just like her smile, always entranced him.

Breaking out of their gazes on each other, they both blushed a little and started their walk through the park. The scenery seemed perfect as the autumn season took effect in Konoha. The trees had a tint of red and orange as the gentle breezes separated the leaves from their place on the tree branches. The leaves rode the wind, elegantly spinning around the two of them in a harmonious dance. Getting a little cold, Sakura unconsciously pressed up against Naruto on his side, causing him to redden like a tomato. Being this close to his one and only love did make him uncomfortable, but he accepted it and continued their walk.

After a while, Sakura came to the realization at her action and immediately blushed, but strangely felt comfortable with leaning against Naruto like this. Still feeling a little cold by the breezes that seemed to pass by every minute, she took hold of his arm and wrapped her own arm with his. She leaned her head against his arm, enjoying the warmth that radiated off of him. They walked in a silence, neither one of them breaking this peaceful silence.

However, as peaceful as it was outside, Naruto's mind was on overdrive. With questions like "What to do?" or "Should I say something?" or "What is Sakura-chan doing?" His mind asked all these questions towards his current situation, but he couldn't voice them out. He didn't want to ruin the most perfect moment in his life. He had dreamed of nights like this almost everyday and he just couldn't believe it. So, he just left it as it was, enjoying the precious moments with his beloved Sakura-chan.

Soon, her melodious voice echoed throughout his mind, breaking him out of his thinking. He looked towards her face and could have sworn he just saw a blush creep onto her face.

"I'm really enjoying this walk Naruto."

"So am I, Sakura-chan."

Another silence drifted upon them until they reached the exit of the park. They just stood there, trying to decide what to do next. Truthfully, neither one of them wanted this night to end at all, not now. Naruto's mind turned on a light bulb as a fantastic idea entered his mind.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Yes?" She replied, hope evident in her voice.

"Follow me."

She just nodded in agreement. Grabbing her by the hand, they both blushed slightly before the blond haired ninja took off towards his destination. Sakura, curious to where they were going, pondered where he was taking her. A thought of going into Ichiraku crossed her mind, making her slightly annoyed, but when they passed it, she pushed it back. Seeing the base of the Hokage mountain come up, she looked towards Naruto who had the biggest grin on his face. The pink haired medic couldn't help but smile as well. Seeing Naruto so happy like this was like a breath of fresh air.

This was one of the few times Sakura could see the old happy Naruto since Sasuke's death by Itachi. She remembered that battle well. It was forever embedded into her memory as was the extreme rage she felt from Naruto. It was a rage filled with anger and sorrow, and that pushed him off the edge. With his power at its peak, Itachi was defeated and killed, along with Orochimaru who was at the battle. When she was healing him, she felt extremely worried about Naruto, not really sad about Sasuke's death. Not that she didn't fell bad about it, but she had long since accepted the fact that she was not in love with Sasuke.

Bouncing back into reality, Naruto's voice penetrated her ears causing her to look towards him. Seeing his gesture, they ran up the mountain and within seconds, reached the top of the mountain. After reaching the top, Naruto placed his hands over her eyes, making something inside her tingle. Guiding her, he turned her so that she could face the village. Taking his hands off of her, her jaw dropped as her eyes focused on the view in front of her. They were overlooking the whole village, with the moon in the backdrop of it all. The stars sparkled brightly as the dark night completed the scenery. She turned towards Naruto who had on the biggest grin she ever saw on him.

"Do you like it, Sakura-chan?"

Getting her mind together, she glanced at Naruto, and then at the scenery of overlooking the village.

"It's absolutely beautiful. When did you-"

She was interrupted by Naruto.

"I used to come up here every night when I was little. It took me a while to climb up here, but that was so I could do a little practice. I used to sit at the edge and overlook the town and just relax to be at peace with myself. I go here to get away from all the hate, pressure, and all the stress I usually experienced. Now, I come up here every chance I can."

"I wouldn't blame you. This is just so beautiful and it does feel peaceful and relaxing."

Naruto went to sit at the edge landing just above the Fourth's head. He patted the ground next to him, signaling Sakura to come and sit by him. She gracefully walked over and sat down in her designated spot. He just smiled and overlooked the whole village. Tonight just seemed like the perfect night.

After a while of gazing, the pink haired kunoichi laid her head on his shoulder, fully aware of her actions. She felt so comfortable, so serene whenever she was around him. That's when it clicked in her mind. All of her memories of him protecting her. He was the one who was always there when her life was at stake. She remembered his promise about bringing Sasuke back and realized that he would sacrifice anything, even his own happiness for her. He filled the hole in her heart when Sasuke left, always there to comfort her and encourage her to do her best.

Pulling her head back, she noticed he turned his head to face her as if asking her what's wrong.

"Why do you do so much for me?" She noticed him turn his head, confusion written all over his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I've done nothing but berate you and make fun of you since we met. I've always been so violent towards you, I've always shown that I was in love with Sasuke only. Yet, you do so much for me. "

"Everybody's done that to me. Sakura-chan, you're one of my most important precious people."

"Why?"

"Because...because..."

"Because what, Naruto?"

"Because, the first time I met you, I felt that I..." He trailed off, debating whether or not he should tell her the way he truly felt or wait it out. It could either ruin their friendship, or he could have the love he's always dreamed of.

"Please Naruto."

Her voice held a pleading voice. She wanted to know the truth, the whole truth. Those questions ran through her head, each time not making anymore sense than it was before. She just wanted to know the reason. A part of her already knew the answer, but she just wanted to make sure.

"Because Sakura-chan, I love you."

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Her whole body stayed still, completely stunned. She couldn't think. She couldn't speak. She could only run what he said throughout her mind. When she felt his fingers tilt her chin up, she could only imagine what was going to happen. Strangely, her face moved closer to his, as was his. When their lips touched, she felt pleasure run throughout her body. Closing her eyes, she gave into the kiss, and returned it with the same amount of passion he was giving.

She couldn't believe how much love Naruto could have and yet he expressed it so much in this kiss they were sharing. Right then and there, she knew who her love belonged to, and she couldn't be any happier. For the 10 seconds they kissed, it felt like an eternal bliss filled with pleasure and content.

Pulling away slowly, they gazed into each other's eyes, locking themselves in a whole other world. She felt like she was falling, falling off the mountain, being protected by Naruto, shielding her from her death. Now she knew, this was Naruto Uzumaki, her one and only love.

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_I hope that was good. Please review and tell me any good and bad things so that I can work on it in the future._


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